When we started this new blog in early 2016, readers requested two things: examples of effective teams and a teamwork skills list to use as a guide. So we set out to make this blog a resource that would meet those needs. In July, we found a way to provide both. We asked 30 professionals and experts from around the world to contribute a guest blog post and tell stories about their teams. We got inspiring and instructive examples of effective teams. What's more, those stories included the characteristics and behaviors of effective teams. So, courtesy of our contributors, we've assembled the definitive teamwork skills list, below.
Their stories come from Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, New Zealand, Canada, the United Arab Emirates, Nepal, Nigeria, the U.K. and the U.S. They describe teams of young people and teams in retirement homes... teams in battle zones, teams on deadline, teams playing for high stakes, and teams working in to make the day-to-day grind easier for everyone.
While their locations and team compositions and fields of expertise are varied, their stories demonstrate that effective teams have a few things in common. We developed this teamwork skills list by first identifying the commonalities in their stories.
While this teamwork skills list provides a handy shortcut, you'll want to read these stories to get the full context and to understand how to apply each item on the list to your own team.
Use the list as a reference. I suggest putting it on the back page of your team meeting agendas or posting it during meetings. But don't expect the summary to stand alone. It's the by-product of the stories, and it makes a lot more sense if you read the stories that are behind it.
The Teamwork Skills List from CONNECT2Win
Optimism and hope:
- Focus is on possibilities, not problems
- Alignment driven by a shared vision
- Celebration of successes along the way
- A sense of humor and camaraderie
Deliberate effort:
- Team building activities are planned and have specific objectives
- Togetherness is intentional, not happenstance
- Action planning and forward motion
- Transparency and clarity in communication and actions
- Setting aside position power so everyone is equal
Respect for all members of the team:
- Input is invited, accepted and expected
- Conflict is healthy and productive, not personal or divisive
- Emotional control and awareness of impact on others
- Contributing "fair share" and holding each other accountable
- Understanding one another's challenges
Team members offer:
- Commitment to each other and the team's shared objectives
- Trust and trustworthiness
- Positivity and encouragement
- Prioritization of team unity over individual ego
- Flexibility
